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1915 History

1915 Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa

Page Index:

 Potter | Rank | Rasmussen
Rice | Ruffcorn, Albert | Ruffcorn, William | Ryan

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THOMAS H. POTTER

To write the personal record of men who have raised themselves from humble circumstances in life to positions of responsibility and trust in their home communities is the pleasant task of the biographer. In this volume are the life stories of many of Shelby county's best citizens who were reared in. ordinary circumstances. Self-made men, men who have won a place for themselves by reason of their personal qualities, unwittingly, perhaps, build monuments more enduring than marble obelisk or granite shaft. To this class of men, Thomas H. Potter properly belongs.

Thomas H. Potter, manager of the Green Bay Lumber Company of Harlan, was born November 6, 1867, on a farm in Carroll county, Illinois. He is the son of John and Hannah (Percy) Potter, natives of England, who immigrated to America about the year 1870 and first located on a farm in Carroll county, Illinois, later settling in Montgomery county, Iowa. Five years later, in 1875, they came to Shelby county and purchased land in Jefferson township. They resided on their well improved farm for many years and then retired to a residence in the town of Irwin. Mr. and Mrs. Potter are the parents of four children: Thomas H., Mrs. Elizabeth Fogarty of Jefferson township; J. R., who is farming the old homestead in Jefferson township; J. A., residing at Brawleigh, in the Imperial Valley of California.

Thomas H. Potter, with whom this review is directly concerned, has resided in Shelby county for over thirty-nine years. He was practically reared on the farm in Jefferson township and educated in the district schools which the township then afforded. After attending the public school he then studied in the Western Normal College at Shenandoah, Iowa. He first became interested in the lumber business in 1899 in the town of Irwin. After a short time, he located in Kirkman and had charge of the lumber yards of the Green Bay Lumber Company at that place. He lived in Kirkman for eleven years and in 1900 took charge of the Harlan yards of the same company.

Mr. Potter was married in October, 1894, to Mattie Steen of Kirkman. To this union have been born two children: Bruce, aged ten years, and Mabel, who is seven years of age.

Politically, Mr. Potter casts his vote in the interests of the Republican party but is inclined to do his own thinking when it comes time for him to exercise the right of suffrage. He prefers to support the individual according to his fitness for the office rather than hew closely to the party lines. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons. Mr. Potter takes an active part in civic affairs. He is always interested in improving local conditions and in boosting the city. He is treasurer of the Harlan Commercial Exchange. He is a good business man, a wide-awake citizen, a kind friend and neighbor.

Source: 1915 Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 1107-1108. Contributed by: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs.

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WILLIAM B. RANK

To a great extent the prosperity of the agricultural sections of our country is due to the honest industry, the sturdy persistence, the unswerving perseverance and the wise economy which so prominently characterize the farming element of the Hawkeye state. Among this class may be mentioned William B. Rank, who, by reason of years of indefatigable labor and honest effort, has not only acquired a well merited material prosperity, but has also richly earned the highest esteem of all with whom he is associated.

William B. Rank, the proprietor of "Sunny Hillside Farm," and the present trustee of Greeley township, was born in Will county, Illinois, in June 3, 1861, the son of Jonathan and Ann (Watson) Rank, both of whom were natives of Pennsylvania. John Rank was a son of Joseph and Margaret (Beard) Rank, natives of Pennsylvania, of German ancestry with a mixture of French blood. Some members of the family came from France several generations ago. John Rank came to Shelby county, Iowa, from Illinois in 1882, and located in Kirkman and purchased a farm at the western side of the town.

William B. Rank received a limited common school education in Will county, Illinois, and came to Shelby county, this state, in 1883, locating on a farm near his father. He lived there until 1892, when he married and purchased eighty acres of unimproved land in Greeley township, where he has since continued to make his home. In 1907 he built a large, eight room house which is equipped with all the modern conveniences of life. In 1909 he added a large barn, forty by fifty-two feet in size, and also many other outbuildings which tend to make his farm one of the best improved in this section of the county. Mr. Rank is a farmer who believes in taking advantage of all the latest methods in agriculture, and in his farming he does not hesitate to depart from old methods when he finds that the newer ideas will produce better results.

Mr. Rank was married February 17, 1892, to Mary E. Edwards, who was born in Metcalf county, Kentucky, on January i5, 1874. She was the daughter of Alexander and Mary (McMurray) Edwards, but was reared by an aunt, Mrs. Drusilla Carter, due to the fact that her mother died when she was an infant. When her aunt's family came to Shelby county in 1883, she came with them and settled in Irwin, where she was living when she was married. Mr. and Mrs. Rank are the parents of five children, Hazel L., born July 25, 1893; Clara F., born January 3, 1900; Hallie, born February 7, 1901 ; Willis, born November 14, 1904, and Leroy, born January 18, 1897, who died in infancy. The mother of these children died October 8, 1913: Hazel Rank, the eldest daughter of Mr. Rank, taught school for two years in Jefferson and Greeley townships, but at the time of the death of her mother she stopped teaching and took charge of the home, all of the children still living with their father.

Mr. Rank is a Republican in politics and always has taken an active part in local politics. He has been school director for five terms and at present is township trustee of his home township. Fraternally, he is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Irwin. Religiously, he was a Methodist. His wife was a member of the Christian church and the children also adhere to the Christian faith. Mr. Rank is a progressive, self-made American, thoroughly in harmony with the spirit of the age in which he lives, and in all of his acts has displayed an aptitude for successful management. He has not permitted the accumulation of material things to affect in any way his actions toward those less fortunate, being a most sympathetic and broadminded man with a host of warm and admiring friends in his community.

Source: 1915 Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 1445 - 1446. Contributed by: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs.

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CHRIS A. RASMUSSEN

Shelby county is known as one of the best stock raising counties of Iowa, and many of the farmers of this county have attained state wide reputations as breeders. One of the younger stockmen who has attained more than a local reputation is Chris A. Rasmussen, who has shipped Duroc Jersey hogs from one end of Iowa to the other, and has made many exhibits at fairs throughout the state. He thoroughly understands every angle of stock raising and has merited the success which has come to him as a result of his efforts. He is strictly a self-made young farmer and has worked for everything he has, a fact which speaks well for his good management and business ability.

Chris A. Rasmussen, the son of Andrew and Sophia (Mattson) Rasmussen, was born in the township where he is now living July 20, 1876. His father was a native of Denmark, his birth having occurred in that country in 1846, and came to America after his marriage to Sophia Mattson, who was born in the same country in 1846. Andrew Rasmassen and wife located in Shelby county, Iowa, in 1873, among the earliest pioneers of the county, and engaged in farming with marked success. At the time of his death in 1888 Andrew Rasmussen was the owner of three hundred acres of well improved land in Jackson township. His widow died in 1906, and both are buried at Bowman's Grove cemetery. They were the parents of six children, five of whom are still living: Mrs. A. M. Peterson; Mrs. T. P. Peterson; Chris A.; T. M.; Alexander, deceased, and G. C.

Chris A. Rasmussen received a good common school education in the schools of Jackson township, and when eighteen years of age married and began to farm for himself. He rented land for one year and then bought eighty acres, to which he has added from time to time until he is now the owner of two hundred acres of excellent land in this township. He is one of the most extensive breeders of Duroc jersey hogs in the county, and has won a state-wide reputation for the excellence of his stock, frequently having been a prize-winner at the various county fairs in the state and also at the Iowa State Fair. He also handles Shorthorn cattle and is a shareholder in the Buck Valley Creamery Company. He makes a scientific study of cattle breeding and hog raising and has attained a success along these two different lines which indicates that he is a man of excellent ability.

Mr. Rasmussen was married November 14, 1894, to Martha Bonnet, who was born in Chicago, Illinois, February 19, 1876, and to this union have been born two children, Elda and Edward. Politically, Mr. Rasmussen is a Democrat and has always been more or less interested in local politics. He has served as president of the school board of his township, and is highly interested in everything pertaining to the educational welfare of his township. He and his family are loyal members of the Danish Lutheran church, in whose welfare they are deeply interested, and to whose support they are liberal contributors. Mr. Rasmussen's farm is known as the "Clover Leaf Stock Farm," and is one of the attractive places in the county. He has all of the necessary barns and outbuildings for successful stock raising and takes a keen delight in keeping everything in good repair. He is still a young man and has a long and prosperous career stretching out before him.

Source: 1915 Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 1461 - 1462. Contributed by: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs.

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CHARLES A. RICE

Charles Rice Family
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The history of Charles A. Rice, the present superintendent of the county farm of Shelby county, Iowa, is full of many interesting incidents. As a youth of seventeen he enlisted in the United States regular army for three years and saw service in the Philippine Islands, during which time he conducted himself in such a manner as to win the hearty approval of his superior officers. Since that time he has been engaged in farming and since 1912 has been in charge of the county farm. He is a young man of marked ability and in whatever position he has been thrust, he has measured up to his responsibilities in such a way as to merit the approbation of his fellow citizens. He has found that practical industry wisely and vigorously applied never fails of success and that the greatest results are often attained by simple means and the exercise of the ordinary qualities of common sense and perseverance. Charles A. Rice, the son of Arthur S. and Mabel (Brainard) Rice, was born in Comanche, Iowa, on February 18, 1884. His father was born in

Harrison county, Iowa, in 1860, and his mother was a native of the same county, her birth occurring in 1862. Arthur S. Rice is the son of Silas Rice, who was born in Vermont in 1830, and died in Harrison county, Iowa, in 1875. Silas Rice married Eleanor Hopkins, who was also a native of Vermont, her birth occurring there in 1828, and she is still living at Logan, Iowa. Silas Rice was one of the earliest pioneer settlers of Harrison county, Iowa, was one of the most extensive land owners of the county, and at his death was recognized as one of the most substantial men of his county. Arthur S. Rice and his wife, who now live in Florida, were the parents of three children.

Charles A. Rice received a good education in the schools of Harrison county, Iowa, and when seventeen years of age was seized with a desire to join the United States army and get a glimpse of America's new possessions. In 1902 he enlisted in Troop G, Fifth Regiment of the United States Regular Cavalry, and saw hard service in the Philippines before his final discharge in Arizona in 1905. Immediately after being mustered out of the service of the regular army, he came to Iowa and attended the Normal School at Woodbine for one year. He then went to Minnesota and farmed for three years, after which he married and settled in Dunlap, Iowa, where he followed the barber trade for five years. In 1912 he came to Shelby county and took charge of the county farm and is now efficiently managing the same. Mr. Rice was married on December 31, 1907, to Esther M. Osten, who was a native of Wisconsin, her birth having occurred in Columbia county on August 23, 1871, and to their union has been born one daughter, Doris, who was born September 28, 1911.

Mrs. Rice is a daughter of Martin and Nellie (Jarshorn) Osten. Her parents were natives of Norway. Mr. Osten came to America at the age of seventeen and his wife came later with her parents. Both settled at Rio, Columbia county, Wisconsin, where they were married. Later they went to Blue Earth county, Minnesota, where they remained until Mrs. Osten's death, January 18, 1889. Mr. Osten is now living at Lake Crystal, Minnesota.

In politics, Mr. Rice is an independent voter with progressive inclinations, and feels that the best interests of his county and state are served when he votes for the best man, not taking into consideration the party to which the man belongs, but rather his personal qualifications for the office. Fraternally, he is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias, the Loyal Order of Moose and the Brotherhood of American Yeomanry, and in the work of these various fraternal organizations he takes a deep interest.

Mr. Rice is yet a young man and is at the beginning of a long and prosperous career. His tenacity and fortitude are due in a large measure to the worthy traits inherited from his sterling father and grandfather, whose high ideals and correct principles he has ever sought to perpetuate in all the relations of life. He is a man of honor, public spirit, charitable impulses and unswerving integrity, and consequently is eminently deserving of mention in a history of his county.

Source: 1915 Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 1136 - 1138. Contributed by: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs.

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ALBERT LESLIE RUFFCORN

It is a satisfaction to note that so many of the best young men of Shelby county, Iowa, are preparing themselves for agriculture. Within the Past few years there has been a return to the farm and today there are more Young men taking courses in our agricultural colleges than ever before. With modem machinery and improved methods of farming the agricultural Profession offers as good opportunities for the enterprising young man as Any other profession. One of the youngest farmers of Shelby county, Iowa, Is Albert Leslie Ruffcorn, who is now managing a fine farm of two hundred And eighty acres of land in Union township. He is a young man of marked Ability.

Albert L. Ruffcorn, the son of Pressly and Flora (Batchelor) RuffCorn, was born November 17, 1886, on the farm where he is now living. His father was born in Pennsylvania and his mother in Iowa.

Pressly Ruffcorn received his education in the schools of his native State and at the opening of the Civil War he enlisted in a Pennsylvania Regiment, serving throughout that struggle with distinction. After the close Of the war, in the spring of 1866, he moved to Illinois, and remained in that State for several years. He then went to Dubuque county, Iowa, and worked Nut as a farm hand. After his marriage in that county he bought a farm, But lived on it only a few years. In 1884 Pressly Ruffcorn and his wife Came to Shelby county, Iowa, and bought the farm on which Albert L. Is Now living. The reader is referred to the history of Pressly H. Ruffcorn, Found elsewhere in this volume;

Albert L. Ruffcorn received a good education in the public schools of Defiance, Iowa. He worked on the farm during tile summer vacations and After leaving school continued to assist his father on the home farm until His marriage, in 1912. His father retired from the farm and moved to Defiance, and since then Albert L. Has been in active charge of the home Place. The farm is well improved and yields large crops of grain annually.

Mr. Ruffcorn was married January 31, 1912, to Mae Hunter, the Daughter of William and Hannah (Ray) Hunter, and to this union one son. Howard Gayle, has been born.

Mrs. Ruffcorn's father was born in Linn county, Iowa, June 6, 1856, The son of David and Lura (Reynolds) Hunter: William Hunter was married March 23, 1884, to Anna Frances Ray, and to this union five children Were born: William, Mae, Helen, John and Glenn. William married Velma Kanause. And has two children, Audrey and Vasco; Mae is the wife Of Mr. Ruffcorn, while the other children are still living with their parents. Mrs. Hunter was the daughter of William and Helen (Longnecker) Ray, Her parents being natives of Iowa and Ohio, respectively.

Mr. Ruffcorn is affiliated with the Republican party, and while interested In the civic life of his community, has never been an aspirant for any public Office. Fraternally, he is a member of the Independent Order of Odd FelLows and is a past grand in his local lodge. He also holds his membership In the Modern Woodmen of America, and is connected with that fraternal Organization in an official capacity.

Source: 1915 Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 1195-1196. Contributed by: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs.

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WILLIAM E. RUFFCORN

It is always pleasant and profitable to read the life of a man who has Been a success, whose living has been such as to command the honor and Respect of his fellow citizens. William E. Ruffcorn, a substantial farmer And chicken fancier of Shelby county, has long been an influential citizen. As A public school teacher of several years' experience, a farmer and business Man, a worker in the church and Sunday school and as a citizen interested in Everything which might in any way benefit his neighbors, he has played a Part which entitles him to a place among the influential men of his county.

William E. Ruffcorn, the son of Pressley H. And Josephine (Hooper) Ruffcorn, was born October 3, 1877, in Epworth, Iowa. His parents were Natives of Pennsylvania and England, respectively. John Ruffcorn, the Father of Presslev, spent all of his life in Pennsylvania. Pressley H. Ruffcorn lived in his native state until the opening of the Civil War, when He enlisted in the Eighty-fifth Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, And served as a private until the close of the war. He was offered a Com-Mission on several occasions but always declined, preferring service in the Ranks as a private. He had some very exciting experiences, but he escaped Capture, and was never wounded. A short time after the close of the war, He came to Shelby county and bought a farm of one hundred and sixty acres In Union township. He lived upon the farm until 1911, when he retired From active farm life and moved to Defiance. There he now lives, surounded by all modern comforts and conveniences. Pressley H. Ruffcorn Was twice married. By his first wife, Josephine Hooper, four children were Born: Frank L., Mrs. Ada M. Davis, William It. And George E. After The death of his first wife, he married Flora Batchelder, and to the second Union there were five children born: Olan G., Albert, Everett, Wayne and Alice.

The father of Pressley H. Ruffcorn's first wife came from England With his family in the early forties and settled in Dubuque, Iowa. He was A baker in the old country but took up fanning upon coming here. Upon The discovery of gold in California in 1848, he prepared to make the long Overland trip to the Pacific coast. The following year he started across The continent with an ox-team, but shortly after reaching California, he lost His ambition and shipped on an old-fashioned sailing-vessel for the trip around Cape Horn. He eventually landed in New York and at once came back To his home in Iowa and settled down as a farmer, following that occupation Until his death.

William E. Ruffcorn was educated in the common schools of his home Neighborhood and lived on the farm with his parents until his marriage. He then rented one of his father's farms until it was sold in 1913 and then Bought eighty acres in section eighteen, Greeley township. There he now Lives, and carries on general farming, making a specialty of raising full Blooded Plymouth Rock chickens. In 1913, he shipped five of his best Chickens to the Iowa State Fair, won first and second prizes on pullets. First and second on cockerels and first on sweepstakes for the best cockerels In the American class. He is not only one of the best known chicken fanciers In Iowa but has a reputation throughout the United States. He is a member Of the Barred Plymouth Rock Club of America and the American Poultry Association. In addition to his chickens, Mr. Ruffcorn raises Poland China Hogs and Short Horn cattle.

Mr. Ruffcorn was married May 23, 1906, to Laura Scott, born October 22, 1886, in Union township, this county. She is the daughter of Frank And Elizabeth (Luxford) Scott, natives of Illinois and early settlers Of Shelby county. Mr. And Mrs. Scott are the parents of five children: Mrs. Jennie Nordby, Robert M., Agnes I., Ivan K and Laura, the wife of Mr. Ruffcorn. Vera Agnes, born August 21, 1908, is the only child of Mr. and Mrs. Ruffcorn.

Mr. Ruffcorn is a Republican but is not a partizan. He has never Aspired to any public office, preferring to give all his time and attention to Private interests. He and his wife are active in the Methodist Episcopal Church and are especially interested in the Sunday school. Mr. Ruffcorn Was superintendent of the Sunday school for five years and has been a Teacher for many years. He and his wife are graduates of the Defiance High school. Both taught in the public schools before their marriage, and have a large number of friends in the community.

Source: 1915 Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 1162-1164. Contributed by: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs.

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EARL RYAN

One of the most progressive young men of Shelby county today is Earl Ryan, who is a member of the stockbreeding firm of Escher & Ryan. He has shown a knowledge of the stock breeding business which places him among the first rank of stock breeders in the country, and in fact, he is regarded as one of the best judges of cattle in the United States. The Aberdeen Angus Stock Farm, now owned by Messrs. Escher & Ryan, has not only a national but an international reputation for its cattle.

Earl Ryan, the son of Thomas J. and Mary A. (Grant) Ryan, was born on August 23, 1884, on the farm where he is now living. His father was born on February 15, 1852, near Rochester, New York, and is the son of Jeffrey and Sarah (Clark) Ryan. His mother was born on October 28, 1855, in Victor, Iowa, and is the daughter of Henry and Helen (Haggard) Grant. Thomas J. Ryan is one of the largest land holders of the county and at present is the mayor of Irwin, Iowa. His history appears elsewhere in this volume and the reader is referred to it for further information concerning his career.

Earl Ryan was educated in the schools of this county and then took a business course at Omaha, Nebraska. When he was seventeen years of age his parents moved to Irwin, where he remained until he was married in 1907. He then moved hack to the old home place and became a partner with Charles Escher in the management of the Aberdeen-Angus Stock Farm. This farm is known as the "Pleasant View" farm, and is one of the most interesting farms to be found in the state of Iowa. Among one of the many notable newspaper and magazine accounts which have appeared concerning this farm, the following paragraph from the "Review and Album" of the International Live Stock Exposition is here given in full: "Picking the grand championship was no difficult task this year. The crowd on the board walks overhead had made the award in a popular sense long before it was officially confirmed. The cattle had barely been penned before it was apparent that it would clearly be an Angus year, and that these master breeders and feeders, Charles Escher, Jr., and Earl Ryan, had left little room for competition. Of thirty-one loads shown from all over the United States, they had seven of the best."

This statement, which appeared in the 1913 International Stock Show Review, gives some indication of the wide reputation of this firm. They keep from five hundred to seven hundred head of full-blooded Aberdeen-Angus cattle the year round. The farm consists of fourteen hundred acres of land in Greeley and Douglas townships and is well adapted to the purpose for which it is used Earl Ryan was married on January 22, 1907, to Bertha M. Sessions, who was born September 27, 1886, in Mt. Vernon, Iowa, the daughter of Edward and Hulda (Richardson) Sessions, natives of New York state. They came to Iowa about 1879 and were married after coming to this state.

In 1900 they moved to Shelby county and located in Polk township, where they lived until 1907, when they moved to Wyoming. In 1911 they moved to California, where they are now living. Mr. and Mrs. Sessions are the parents of four children: Mrs. Grace Dobler, of Beverton, Wyoming; Mrs. Georgiana Purcell, of Irwin, Iowa; Edward, of Los Angeles, California, and Bertha, the wife of Earl Ryan. Mr. and Mrs. Ryan have two children: Charles Thomas, born October 17, 1908, and Myrtle Grace, born January 12, 1910. Mr. Ryan has been a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows for several years. Politically, he is a Democrat but the demands of business have prevented him from taking an active part in political affairs. Mr. Ryan is still a young man with a promising future before him and the success which has attended his efforts in the past bespeak for him a more successful future.

Source: 1915 Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 705 - 707
Contributed by: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs.

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